Let me preface this by stating I did drive the M5 last week but was limited in how I wanted to adjust the settings and push the car. But a good friend is a now in charge of a local BMW store so he let me take the First Edition M5 for a longer test drive where I was able to really push the car and drive it bigger turns and tighter corners as well. I also was able to dissect the interior further for comfort and functionality vs our AMG's.

Here some cliff notes:

Speed/Acceleration/Brakes: My E63S is tuned with a beta tune from November so it feels just a slight bit more aggressive from launch but the M5 is more fluid and linear with its mph gains. I ran the M5 in sport plus settings and MDM Sport for the drive mode which is probably equal to Sport Plus in our cars. I honestly cant tell you what car is faster- the M5 gets there (to 150 plus) quick but in a different way. Since I drove the First Edition, the car has the M Sport Exhaust which all normal 2018 and 2019 M5's do not get so there is a good amount of burble and grumble but the cabin is so insulated its hard to know where you are in the car vs the E with its growl. As all the vids show, its a drivers race. I was able to really open up the M5 in very hot weather and the issues I had with 2016 and 2013 M5's are not there: heatsoak. Stock vs stock the M5's throttle felt just a bit better with a less mushy pedal and more immediate response. I could keep typing here but you get the gist; they are evenly matched. Based on my "butt" feel, I think the M5 might just be a tick quicker to 150 and I have said weight plays a big role. The E has more tq so that helps its cause to offset the weight gain. The M5 I drove has the irons but still great pedal feel and no fade. I have the CCB's in the E and they are brilliant but for regular driving the gain is really in brake dust reduction and a bump in your cost.

Handling/Comfort: Wow this one has me thinking. I have always said I can endure the E63S suspension because of my roads but driving the M5 gave me pause. Its just so much more soft on the same roads and I say this in a good way. None of that "thud" or "bang" like in the E63S. As most of you have owned an M5 in the past, you know that BMW feeling it exudes where the dampers and springs work very well to suck up the road undulations. So from a comfort perspective, the M5 is way better. But, if I want zero roll the E63S is the one that moves closer to that limit. The compression and rebound is so tight and in big bends I found my "non buffet eating" frame to be slightly pushed in the M5. Maybe it was the seats- which are equivalent to the standard E63S ones but there was more lean. It wasnt drastic and there are turns where I actually wanted that feel so I was better connected with the car and I can see why the M5 gets great handling reviews along with our E63S's. Its just a completely different feel when driving down the expressway in triple digit speeds. I am still so utterly impressed with the E63S and how it handles its weight. But I was also impressed with the M and its ability to soak up the crap on the streets.

Steering: I like the M steering better... I felt it had minimal understeer in hard turns and at higher speeds the wheel was just firm and solid with no movement. I have found at time that the electronic steering in the E tries to correct or hold in place and I would rather have my human input here. The E in the same 100 plus big bends has a bit more understeer while the M steering was more on point which is a big change from the F10 M5 steering to me. The M5 steering is more connected with the chassis and suspension for my style of driving. The E is in now way a slouch but for me I liked the M.

Interior/Amenities: OK so this one has come up alot- The E has the better appearance to me but the functionality of the M and its I drive is better. The tech is just fast (or normal) while the E is so slow but i have said before that wasnt a deal breaker and it still is not. I loved the cushy M5 seats with the 18 way adjustments and great cooling capability. I have the Performance Seats in my E so its hard to compare but if im turning over and over then the E seats are where I want my butt planted. The M feels just slightly more luxurious inside but they are both great interior laden cars. I really enjoy the I drive better, I didnt need to read the brochure to even modify anything and the steering wheel controls are good with a wheel and buttons to push versus that stupid finger pad with the E. Im not an audiophile but the Bowers and Wilkins system was good with decent highs and some bass. I dont really care here as long as the system is decent and both cars have good music deliveries (for me).

Transmission/Gearing: I am a big fan of the ZF tranny having had it on two of my RS7's, Jag F Type R, and Bentley GT3R. Some may think BMW lost their way leaving the DCT but the shift speed changes and fluidity is negligible in change. No one is on these cars 10/10ths, they are not race cars. The ZF holds the gears well and up shifts at higher rpms while not down shifting while cruising; I liked it and it serves it purpose with the electronics M added in. The E63S tranny is a bit wild as we all know with its thud downshifts and more violent pushes. But I like that, it makes me feel like the car is just ripping and some may hate it but its got that race car feel while the M is so fluid that you dont even feel the shifts all the way past 150mph. I think from an efficiency standpoint, both hold their weight with limited drive train loss. The performance numbers are key here where both run higher 12X traps and sub 3 second zero to 60 romps. So I cant really say anything is definitely better here but instead its a drivers' choice. Some might think in manual mode the E63S has too many gears and one can get lost in the wrong gear; I can see why but thats why I really just trust Sport Plus and D mode.

Exhaust: LOL--- thank god I drove the First Edition because it has the M Sport Exhaust. It needs it as the E63S owns this category. The M sounds good, really good, but I cant hear it always as much while the E63S noise is always in my face even with my ACP option. But I have heard Quickburns Sport Exhaust with the resonator pulled and its a nice blend of higher decibels and growl with some LeMans shreiking. I am one that must have exhaust noise to match up with speed and deceleration into turns... its part of the driving process so the M5 needs this Sport Exhaust or I would be swapping out the factory one asap (it was on the first car I drove last week and the exhaust was boring). I had my buddy rev the M5 while I was outside and it sounded really good which made me happy. I would need just a little more sound though so the resonator would go.

Looks/Appearance: I drove the First Edition and it has a unique look with the Frozen Red paint and Pearl White interior. The E, in my matte black paint, is more aggressive but the M5 carries itself well. Its bit more muted to me but this FE car is pretty wild. I think I like the E just a bit better with its more aggressive lines but this is not a deal breaker for me and the M.

So would I change cars? Sure. But not because the M is better on an absolute level because its not- they are so evenly matched its all going to boil down to personal preference on drive feel, usage, road situations, and at times brand loyalty. I have had 8 M's so Im not a just a Benz Fanboy. I think because I personally like to drive new cars and own them for a while the M will be in my garage soon. The E is coming up on a birthday and that says alot about what it means to me. Its so wonderful to have choices like this and I know you all appreciate it at the end of the day. There are so many cliches to describe these cars- I think I would just say the M is now the sleeper while the E63S is the "in your face, wideawake" machine. Both are beasts.